Film #2: The Divergent Series: Insurgent, 2015

I managed to dislike this film even more than the first one. There are some fantastic actors in this film, especially Kate Winslett, but the plot is terrible. The plot is such a ripoff of a ripoff of a ripoff of much better film series like The Hunger Games and Harry Potter. Also, now that I have seen it, every time a YA film calls someone special, or whatever, I will forever think of The Lego Movie.

I do have to praise how normal it is in this film's universe for women and people of color to be in power. The protagonist is just assumed to be as competent as any other character in the film without any, that I can recall, question of it. There is, however, some weirdness with age in this movie. In real life, some of the child/parent pairings are only a few years apart from each other. I am not naive to how Hollywood works, but c'mon.

As the Silver Screen Queens podcast notes, the ending of this film is so frustrating. I hate how they go to show what is outside the...city?...but then pan back for the swerve ending to the film. What is out there!?! Maybe show that? I know it is alluded to earlier, but actually seeing it would prove to be a much stronger ending. Generally, this film drags on in a lot of parts and ending by showing something outside would have been significantly better.